Gluten-free Oatmeal Butterscotch cookies are my favorite take on classic oatmeal cookies — crunchy at the edges, tender in the center, and studded with sweet butterscotch chips. Often called oatmeal scotchies, these cookies are simple to make and reliably delicious.
I’ve made this gluten-free butterscotch oatmeal cookie recipe for years. It’s a family favorite — my husband ranks these as his top cookie, and my oldest son requests them for his birthday every year. I hadn’t published the recipe for a long time, so when my son couldn’t find it on my site, he urged me to share it. Here it is: a tested, reliable gluten-free oatmeal scotchie recipe you can bake at home.
Notes on Ingredients for these Gluten-free Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies:
- Oats: Use only certified gluten-free oats. For people with celiac, oats produced under a gluten-free purity protocol reduce cross-contact risk — brands like Gluten Free Harvest are reliable.
- Butterscotch chips: Many brands label their chips gluten-free, but always read ingredients and watch for malt. I use Guittard butterscotch chips for consistent flavor.
- Butter: Full-flavored butter is recommended for the best results. For this recipe the butter is fully melted, not simply softened.
These cookies are not easily converted to dairy-free because good-tasting dairy-free butterscotch chips are hard to find. If you need a dairy-free oatmeal cookie, consider a dairy-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe instead.
How to make oatmeal butterscotch cookies:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
2. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts, covering with a paper towel to prevent splatter.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter with brown sugar, granulated sugar, the egg, and pure vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for about one minute or mix thoroughly by hand.
4. Add the gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix on low just until incorporated.
5. Stir in the gluten-free rolled oats and butterscotch chips by hand or with the mixer on low.
6. Choose cookie size: for large cookies, use a #20 scoop (about 3 tablespoons / ~2 oz) and place 8–9 per sheet, yielding roughly 22 large cookies. For medium cookies, use a #40 scoop (about 1½ tablespoons / ~1 oz) and place more per sheet to yield about 30 medium cookies.
7. Bake at 375°F: medium cookies take about 8–9 minutes; large cookies about 13 minutes. Cookies firm up and become crisper the longer they bake, so pull them slightly underdone if you prefer a chewier center.
8. Transfer baked cookies to cooling racks to cool completely. If you reuse a hot cookie sheet for the next batch, cookies will spread more, so let pans cool between batches. I often reuse each parchment paper once and then replace it.
Store any cookies not eaten the first day in an airtight container or sealed bag. Baked cookies also freeze well — pop a few frozen cookies into a lunchbox in the morning and they’ll be thawed and perfect by midday.
I first tasted oatmeal scotchies over 20 years ago while working at a guest ranch in Montana. A talented baker named Pam shared her recipe, and I made them for years until I needed to convert recipes to gluten-free after my celiac diagnosis. This particular cookie took several attempts to perfect in a gluten-free version — my notes say success came around attempt #10. The result is a cookie that keeps the spirit of the original while being safe for those who need gluten-free baking.
I hope you and your family enjoy these gluten-free oatmeal butterscotch cookies as much as we do.
If you love butterscotch, you might also enjoy other no-bake and bar recipes that use butterscotch chips.
If you try this recipe and like it, please consider rating the recipe on the original post and share any substitutions or tips that worked for you.
Gluten-free Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookie Recipe:
Gluten-free Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies
Gluten-free Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies, also known as oatmeal scotchies, are oatmeal cookies loaded with butterscotch chips. They bake up crisp at the edges and chewy in the center.
10 minutes
8 minutes
18 minutes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks or 12 Tbsp)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 1/4 cups butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, heating in 30-second increments and covering to prevent splatter.
- In a mixing bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
- Add gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix on low until just combined.
- Stir in the oats and butterscotch chips by hand or on low speed.
- Scoop dough using desired size: a #20 scoop yields large cookies (about 3 Tbsp each, ~22 cookies), a #40 scoop yields medium cookies (about 1½ Tbsp each, ~30 cookies).
- Bake at 375°F: medium cookies 8–9 minutes, large cookies about 13 minutes. Remove when slightly underdone for a chewier center.
- Cool on racks. Allow baking sheets to cool before reusing to prevent excess spreading.
Notes
Most butterscotch chips are gluten-free but check labels for malt. Use certified gluten-free oats. Store leftovers in an airtight container or freeze baked cookies for later.
Pin this to your gluten-free cookies board so you can save it to come back and try!
